Track Test >> TESI 3D E << The Tesi 3D E looks bizarre, but how does that hub centre steering technology actually work? Here’s a layman’s guide

magine for a moment, you are lying in steered motorcycle in 1990. The later, Andrea has heaps more carbon fibre and a very handy hospital, all busted up from crashing your Acquaviva designed, iteration of this ground STM slipper clutch. bike on the racetrack. Leathers ripped, breaking bike, the 3D, looks quite similar to its The 3D Tesi’s Desmo donk is sandwiched ride trashed and your new Arai now only predecessor the 2D. However, Andrea started between a pair of beautifully machined good enough for the bin. Most normal with a relatively empty CAD computer screen aluminium billets serving as the main chassis people would be resting up, feeling sorry to produce a bike that corrected the 2D’s to which the front and rear are Ifor themselves. Not Massimo Tamburini. drawbacks of limited steering lock – improved mounted, while the steering head is attached In September, 1972 the now famous from 18° to 23° – a repositioned front shock to to a tubular-steel subframe coming off the designer crashed his 750 Four at the clear the rider’s knees, a narrower build and a front of the billet chassis. Thanks to hub Misano racetrack in Italy – the stack left him simpler steering system to improve feel. centre design fundamentals, the 3D Tesi’s with three broken ribs. While recovering, The new-for-2012 Tesi 3D E is an evolution steering head does not see the mega load path TEST MARK McVEIGH Signore Tamburini constructed a tubular of the 3D which includes a further revised front inherent on a traditional forked machine and PHOTOGRAPHY 404SHOTS steel frame to handle the power then being shock position. The 3D pull-rod mechanism is ultra lightweight as a result. The rear end FORK produced by the Japanese bikes. It was called hydraulic suspension which was located low is exquisitely detailed carbon-fibre complete the HB1 and that’s when Bimota was born. beside the engine has been replaced on this with its tidy solo seat, and the exhaust, Born from a young university graduate’s Evo version with a more traditional spring over headlight and dash come from the Delirio. mind, it was engineer Pierluigi Marconi’s damper shock directly mounted on the front The 3D Tesi E uses ’s 1079cc dual- university thesis (“tesi” in Italian) that directly translating into more responsive spark engine producing 100hp (75kW) with led to the first Bimota Tesi 1D hub centre damping of the front end. The Evo version also 100Nm of torque. The placid nature of this

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Main: There’s no doubt it’s a unique-looking bike 1. Front end trellis swingarm and steering linkage 2. Rear shock settings are easily adjusted

amcn /52 53/amcn 1 older motor doesn’t really fit with the 3D Tesi’s excellent with no rear wheel lock ups, the compression and rebound adjustability, although hub centre 2 high-tech mega-detailed chassis, however it STM dry slipper clutch working very well. I found the clickers a little insensitive to change makes the bike very easy to ride and it gets along This Bimota has extra connotations compared to the latest European superbikes. science quite nicely if you keep the motor on the boil. The best described as a 3D feast of motorcycle This bike is a lot of fun. While I was getting power delivery is reasonably linear and smooth engineering jewellery. Every time I looked at caned down Lakeside Raceway’s straight by the although a little soft, so you definitely have to this smorgasbord of aluminium, chromalloy more powerful machines sharing the track on Rake: 21° Rake: 26° keep the revs up to maintain a decent pace. and carbon fibre, I’d spot some new intricate this rideday, the Tesi’s strengths – stability, agility A set of open pipes and some engine detail. The bike is one of only a handful in the and powerful, progressive brakes – meant I could re-mapping would certainly add to the ponies country and the others are in living rooms make up heaps of time, especially through the and sharpen up the power delivery. The motor like art pieces. The fact I was allowed to fang high-speed turns, chicanes and by trail braking 3 is pretty quiet, too, and by the day’s end I was this $50,000-plus bike around Queensland’s deep into the corners with the Brembo four-pot hanging for some Desmo tones. The electronics Lakeside racetrack is testament to the radial calipers on 320mm discs. are from Bimota and the motor redlines at motorcycling spirit of its owner, Mark Grant. Normally, motorcycle stability and agility are 9000rpm which I bounced off a few times before After testing all nine of the latest superbikes trade-offs, as front-end geometry with a larger, getting used to the relatively low rev ceiling. at AMCN’s AUSTest in June, I had a fresh feel for stable trail effectively reduces the bike’s roll The Ducati gearbox is reasonable, too – the latest motorcycling technology – and the 3D rate, making it harder to turn. The 3D Tesi is very Trail: 115mm Trail: 105mm but it’s a little notchy especially noticeable Tesi E was a big surprise. Mark is a solid 100kg stable yet also very manoeuvrable; not quite the on multiple downshifts where I can’t bang and it’s his weight that Bimota used to set the Panigale’s level of agility, but very respectable Hub centre steering has the potential to improve the down several gears at once, separating each bike up at the factory. I spent the morning tuning a 20-year-old design. The 3D is very narrow performance and safety of motorcycles because downshift instead to keep everything smooth. the spring preload and damping rates to suit and reasonably light, with a 167kg dry weight. it separates the steering, braking, and suspension Saying that, the well-spaced gears make my Leprechaun-esque 75kg. The Extreme Tech Lightweight Oz wheels and a centralised mass forces compared to the typical standard fork-equipped the best of the motor and engine braking is suspension has a good range of spring preload, combine to deliver excellent handling. motorcycle. The front suspension on a motorcycle equipped with a conventional fork is compressed under braking forces. This also has the effect of reducing the trail (see steering geometry) increasing the BIO The fact I was allowed to fang this $50,000-plus bike motorcycle’s roll rate or ability to turn, which reduces Mark McVeigh is a the motorcycle’s stability, compared to a hub centre freelance technical moto around a racetrack is a testament to its owner steering system. journalist, road-race Typical standard motorcycle forks also lack coach and development stiffness in comparison to hub centre steering, as they rider. Mark owns motoDNA, an Australian- act as a long lever to the headstock. This long lever based consultancy which provides high design also transfers large braking forces through performance road race coaching plus the frame headstock which subsequently is required design, prototyping and testing services to be very robust, adding to the bike’s weight and high to motorcycle manufacturers and race centre of mass. teams around the world. Hub centre steering is a triangulated design that, by nature, transfers loads directly to the chassis away 1. Dry slipper clutch works from the headstock, resulting in a lighter headstock a treat while the cover is design. This design also has the benefit of reduced carbon and billet art steering flex under heavy braking. 2. Brembo brakes are Also, hub centre steering systems typically use a powerful and progressive linkage which maintains steering geometry – namely 3. Dash from a Delirio trail – with front wheel travel, negating the adverse steering geometry change experienced when braking on a typical standard fork-equipped motorcycle. The king pin centreline defines the steering axis compared to a conventional forked motorcycle where the steering axis is generally through the headstock centreline. The 3D Tesi hub centre design has lots of positive handling benefits including low unsprung mass, high IN THE REAL WORLD rigidity, low steering inertia plus easy rake and trail If you’re riding a Bimota Tesi 3D, you’ll definitely adjustment. stand out from the crowd. The day after our track Hub centre steering motorcycles have been around test we rode to the popular motorcyclist’s haven of for a while now and have been relatively unsuccessful Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland. commercially for a number of reasons – for instance, According to bike owner Mark Grant, the biggest some aesthetically unattractive designs have had a issue in the real world is the crowd control required negative effect on the motorcycling public’s perception. when you park up at the café with your mates. Technically, hub centre steering systems’ Achilles People swarm around the Tesi and just stare heel is the lack of front-end feel. This is mainly due in awe at this amazing machine with questions to the extra elements between the tyre contact patch aplenty; the most common query simply being, and the handlebars. If you think about a standard fork, “How does it work?” there is a very direct connection to the rider’s hands, Mark rode the bike as I had set it up at the which gives good tyre contact patch feedback. Hub track the previous day and reported a much more centre steering bikes however have extra parts, or compliant and smooth ride, deciding to leave the 3D elements, each with a certain amount of friction and Tesi as set up for a smaller 75kg pilot on the track, movement which reduces the sensitivity and feel to the maybe a reflection of the Queensland road surface. contact patch. Recently manufacturers such as Bimota There is no doubt this is a dream bike. As a and have been creating some very cool high- teenager, I drooled over the Bimota Tesi posters on spec bikes. With continual development and modern my bedroom wall and to get the chance to test this technology, we may see resurgence in hub centre cool machine on a rideday at Lakeside Raceway in steering motorcycles. Queensland was fantastic fun. amcn /54 55/amcn Engine CHAMPION’S RIDE DAYS Configuration Ducati L4, twin-cylinder Many thanks to Champion’s Ride Days for accommodating privateer race team, winning the Australian Superstock Cylinder head SOHC, four valves per cylinder the AMCN crew for this test. The safety, professionalism 1000 Championship. Capacity 1078cc and friendly team at Champions ensured we had a fun and Champion’s Ride Days holds events at the following Bore/stroke 98 x 71.5mm fast time on the racetrack! racetracks. Compression ratio 10.7:1 Champions host over 120 events per year with over Cooling Air Fueling EFI, 2 x 45mm Magneti Marelli throttle 16,000 customers in most states of Australia. A. QLD Raceway (Qld) bodies Offering a fleet of brand new Honda CBR600RR hire B. Lakeside Raceway (Qld) bikes, the company also supplies a complete range of Power 73kW @ 7500rpm (claimed) C. Winton Raceway (Vic) B Torque 105Nm @ 5500rpm (claimed) safety apparel including leathers, boots, gloves and D. Broadford Raceway (Vic) A TRANSMISSION helmets, a frequent rider program, trackday tuition, text E. Mallala Raceway (SA) G E messages and e-newsletters plus freight services for F. Mac Park Raceway (SA) F C Type Six-speed D Clutch Dry customers so they can ride different tracks in different G. Barbagallo Raceway (WA) states. Champion’s Ride Days also give back to the sport by Final drive Chain supporting talented local riders with their well-respected Check them out at www.championsridedays.com.au. CHASSIS Frame material Light alloy At the handlebars, the 3D Tesi E generally feels bearings and higher quality Öhlins suspension would Frame layout Twin Omega similar to a conventional forked machine. Under be a good step forward. A dynamic trail system Rake 21˚ acceleration and through high-speed turns the that optimises the steering geometry at this point Trail Not given bike is impressively balanced and planted. Through would also be a tidy evolution to hub centre steering suspension Lakeside’s high-speed turn one there was some technology that could possibly see it overtaking Extreme Tech headshake but nothing to ever get concerned about current conventional superbikes. Front: Monoshock, hub centre steering, as you can feel the lightweight Oz wheels low mass Hard braking over bumps is one of this bike’s fully adjustable, 115mm travel would never let this translate into anything serious. strengths as the suspension deals with bumps Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, Impressively, no steering damper was fitted or needed. separately to the braking forces. There’s heaps of 120mm travel The differences between the Tesi and bikes with ground clearance with only the Michelin Pilot road wheels/tyres regular forks become apparent when you begin tyres and the threat of a $50,000-plus repair bill Wheels Forged aluminium braking. There is no noticeable front-end dive and limiting my bravery. Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 also minimal pitching, the bike remaining relatively A bump on the exit of Lakeside’s bus stop chicane Tyres Michelin Power Pure flat, minimising weight transfer to the front tyre. The created some unusual vibration through the front Front: 120/70ZR17 Tesi feels more stable under heavy braking than a trellis swingarm which was a bit disconcerting Rear: 180/55ZR17 conventional machine which inspired confidence, considering my brief was not to scratch this super- brakes encouraging serious trail braking. Turn-in stability is expensive piece of motorcycling exotica, but as I Brembo/Bimota great, the Tesi holding its line beautifully. got used to the Tesi’s idiosyncrasies I became more Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston calipers Then approaching the middle of low- and medium- comfortable in the twilight of the assessment. Rear: 220mm disc, single-piston caliper speed corners, a certain vagueness and reduced It’s great to see smaller niche companies like DIMENSIONS feeling with the front tyre is apparent. My apex speed Bimota successfully manufacturing motorcycling Weight 167kg (dry, claimed) would certainly have been slower on the Tesi E exotica and overall I love this bike – it’s a lot of fun, Seat height 800mm compared to the latest European superbikes. This is looks very cool and handles superbly. I’m sure Bimota Max width 720mm probably due to the friction in the multiple elements is looking at a more recent donk for the next version, to Max height 1120mm of the hub centre steering system and lack of weight bring the power delivery up to spec on this expensive Wheelbase 1390mm Fuel capacity 16L transfer to the front tyre. The 3D was so good overall and exotic machine. Perhaps a 4D Tesi with a Panigale I reckon some detail design changes to low friction motor is on the cards… I sure hope so! Performance Fuel consumption Not given Top speed 237km/h (claimed) It's great to see smaller niche companies Contact & sale info Testbike Bimota Australia like Bimota making bike exotica Contact www.bimotaaustralia.com.au (03) 9387 8827 Colour options Red and White or Carbon Black 1. Seat is narrow and short, which Warranty 24 months, unlimited km is just great for the track Price $54,990 2. The front shock position is the main evolution on this year’s Tesi 1

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